Kentish Football 
Cray Wanderers boss Ian Jenkins ready to discuss terms with his squad
Thursday 02nd June 2011
CRAY WANDERERS boss Ian Jenkins says he will discuss the futures of his playing staff next week, writes Stephen McCartney.The Wands finished in a creditable ninth place in the Ryman Premier League last season – just four points adrift of the play-off’s – in what was the club’s highest ever finish in their entire 150 year history.
Jenkins is staging the club’s presentation night at his Sidcup residence at the weekend and once the partying is over will decide who he will keep and release next week.
Jenkins, who first joined the club as a player in their Kent League days back in 1993, before being appointed manager in 1999, said, “We’ve got the presentation on Saturday. I won’t be doing any other deals until after that’s finished so once that’s out of the way I’ll be doing a bit.
“We’re all round my house on Saturday night, we’re having a bit of a bash around my house, watching England, having a presentation in the garden and all that and I’ll be talking to them from Monday onwards.”
Jenkins wants to build on last season, although he revealed he will be working with a smaller squad next season of up to eighteen players.
“The players can see we had a good season and they were involved with that so I’ll be surprised if a lot of them walk away from that to be honest with you,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins, however, is angry that managers are approaching his prized asset, French striker Laurent Hamici, the club’s leading goalscorer last season.
“Hopefully yes (he’ll stay), you never know do you? A lot of clubs come in with big money and if he does (leave) it’s one of those things. It happens doesn’t it.
“You’re going to have teams look at him first. I just wish if people did come in for him it would be nice for people to ring me up first and have a chat with me about it, but it doesn’t work like that in pre-season, does it?!”
When asked what he is looking for in the summer transfer market, Jenkins replied, “Another forward would be nice to go with Brems (Leigh Bremner) and Lol (Hamici), maybe another midfielder, just in certain area’s that’s all. Another centre half maybe. When we lost Wills (Mark Willy) and we lost Guesty (John Guest) and Vinsey (Joe Vines) got injured late on, we just didn’t have the cover there to cover those sort of players so it’s something we’ve got to look at.
“The squad that I’ve got is well good. If you have to put up with that squad again I’ll be well happy with that.
When asked about the number of players, Jenkins said, “Probably 17-18, that will be right for me this year. We had 21-22 at the start of the season last year, far too many to keep everyone happy and a few weeks into the season you have a few problems with players who aren’t happy.
Jenkins revealed that Gary Hillman and John Woolf (chairman and vice-chairman) have handed him the same budget as previously.
He said: “It’s exactly the same for the third year running, so you have to deal with that. If I can go and get my own sponsors’ in, I’ll do that and raise a bit of money my own way.
“If I have to do that to keep the squad together then I’ll go and do it.”
Jenkins admitted having a strong bond around him keeps him going year in year out.
He said: “It’s the freshness of new players that come in, the buzz. The loyalty of the ones that stay, working with a good coaching staff in Joey and Blado (Joe Francis and Paul Blade), they keep you going when you’re down. When you have people like that who lift you up, the same as (Gary) Hillman and John (Woolf) they see you’re getting down and they try to lift you.
“The youngsters’ coming through is a big bonus for me to be honest with you. We’ve got some really good youngsters coming through and with the ground in a few years’ time we can crack on with the same sort of squad and we can rise up through the leagues.”
When asked about the progress of the new stadium, Jenkins replied, “It’s a standstill at the moment. They’re waiting to get the architects in. They’re competing for drawings and once that’s done it goes to planning but it ain’t far off – but Gary’s the man to talk to you about that mate!
“Yes, it will be brilliant (to still be in charge when it’s opened) and vice-versa if I wasn’t in charge. I’d have the right hump to be honest with you being at the club that long. I’d be gutted to see someone else come in and take the new stadium on.
“As long as we’re doing alright in the league and we stick to what we’re at, I think I should be alright.”
Visit Cray Wanderers’ website: www.craywands.co.uk
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd